Melky Sedeck: Sister & Brother : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Now that Wyclef's sister and brother Melky and Sedeck Jean have arrived, history may well remember the extended Fugees family as a collective force so dominant, they'll be called turn-of-the-century Jacksons. Remember the sublime "I Got a Love Jones for You," from the Love Jones soundtrack? That was Melky Sedeck -- then called Melky and Day -- introducing their lush, textured soul, anchored by Melky's deep, delicious voice and Sedeck's heartfelt playing and production. On their stunning debut full-length player, Sister and Brother, they recall the smooth neo-soul of Groove Theory more than, say, the hip-hop soul of Lauryn Hill. But this is definitely a Jean family album, marked by emotional profundity and a natural eclecticism; it's serious music that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Melky Sedeck display a studio expertise and a sharp musical sense rarely heard in freshmen. They've crafted an album that will make you close your eyes and let your chin bounce while a light piano dances against a hard beat on "Raw." Or while Sedeck's guitar softly plinks and strums over sharp drum cracks and Melky sings bluesily, "I watched my mama die before my eyes/I watched my daddy cry and wonder why," on "In Time." Or while nervous violins work feverishly as Melky spirals her voice higher and higher in operatic runs, singing "Mi Amor" until you hear a glass break. This is a listening-experience sort of album, for people who love soul and love sound. (RS 818)

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